All posts tagged "adam kinzinger"

Ex-GOP rep claims Trump admin are 'hoping we forget' about Epstein files release

A former Republican Party representative has suggested the staggered release of Jeffrey Epstein's files is intentional as the administration are "hoping we forget" about the release.

In November last year, the Senate agreed in a near-unanimous vote to pass the Epstein files bill, with the legislation signed off by Donald Trump, despite his initial opposition to the documents' release. Though the federal law states the majority of documents must be ready to publish by December 19, less than 1% of the files have been shared with the public.

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, wrote that there are "more than two million documents potentially responsive to the Act" and that the administration are still working through the backlog.

The Department of Justice confirmed last week that only 12,285 documents of 125,575 pages had been officially released, according to The Guardian. Former GOP rep Adam Kinzinger believes this slow trickle of documents is intentional, and that the administration's sudden surge in country takeover plans is a distraction.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Kinzinger said, "It's easy to forget that the Epstein files still need to be released. They've released thousands of documents but they recently admitted to finding five million more documents."

"Now according to the law, these things should already have been put out. But now it's like they're hoping that we forget about it. Keep in mind that when the Republicans were running the Epstein files, and you see this with the online right, there was this demand that they be released but this was synonymous with the assumption or the accusation that this was all Democrats in the files."

"Now the weird thing is, I've never seen anyone on the left or centre say, 'Yeah, release the Epstein files except for the Democrats.' No, I think they've all said, 'Release them all, release everybody.'"

Kinzinger went on to claim the Department of Justice could be "stalling to protect Donald Trump" who has featured in the already released Epstein files.

"But if you still think the Department of Justice is playing the independent role it was intended to and not just acting as Donald Trump's lawyers, I'm sorry, you haven't been paying attention,' Kinzinger said. "We need to continue, even with all the chaos going on, to demand and call for the Epstein files to be released because the American people deserve to know the truth."

Ex-GOP rep calls for party rebellion against Trump until one issue is 'throttled back'

A former GOP representative has called on the party to rebel against the recent economic decisions made by Donald Trump.

Adam Kinzinger urged the party to push back against the decision of one Trump appointed investigator to open an investigation into the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell. The New York Times reported on Sunday that Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., opened an investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell last November.

Powell said in a statement later that day that he had received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury about statements he made last June during a Senate committee hearing. He described the subpoena as "ongoing pressure" from the president to end the Federal Reserve's independence.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Kinzinger, a US House Rep for Illinois from 2011 to 2023, urged Republican Party members to stand firm against the subpoena and Trump's influence.

He said, "This was only done for one reason, and one reason only. Donald Trump has been wanting Jerome Powell to cut interest rates and Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve board's job and charter is not to do what Donald Trump wants, it's to do what they need to do to stabilize the money, to ensure as much employment as they can."

"When you cut interest rates, more money goes out into the economy and if you have an inflation problem, inflation increases, when you have out of control inflation, you have to raise interest rates to reign that money in and combat inflation."

Kinzinger added the Federal Reserve are "doing what they need to do" so inflation does not rapidly increase. Trump has since taken legal action against the economic body, Kinzinger says, because they won't "do what he wants".

The ex-GOP member said, "This is utterly insane. It's utterly unethical. This is the moment that the elected Republicans have to make a decision. The vast majority of them out there have done nothing but bow and acquiesce to Donald Trump every day. Everything he wants, they do it."

"As a member of Congress, your job is not to do what Donald Trump wants. Your job is to do what's right. Your job is to represent your district. If you know anything about the Constitution... it's that Congress has, as a whole, the same power as the president. You're not supposed to roll over and do what he wants."

"So every Republican has a chance right now to save any shred of decency or morality they have. You need to speak out and oppose this, and you need to make it clear that you will oppose every single one of Donald Trump's priorities in the Senate or the House until they throttle back on this."

Ex-GOP rep 'fears what is next' for US following ICE shooting in Minneapolis

A former GOP representative "fears what is next" for the country after a woman was shot dead in South Minneapolis, Minnesota, by an ICE agent.

Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. The shooting happened at a time when the Trump administration surged more than 2,000 federal immigration officers into the city following reports of welfare fraud committed by the local Somali community.

Former Republican Party member Adam Kinzinger has since questioned what the long-term impact of the shooting will be, and says this could be a turning point in how US citizens view the influx in ICE raids.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Kinzinger said, "Law enforcement's job is to protect. To serve. To make life safer, not more dangerous. It's to reduce confrontation, not to implement confrontation, not to escalate confrontation. What we're seeing from this administration, it's enough."

"If this doesn't wake the American people up, and if this doesn't create enough pushback on the administration, I fear what is next. I fear what this escalation chain does. You're going to have ICE agents who see the community as the enemy, and you're going to have the community see law enforcement as the enemy. That is never good. That is not the point of law enforcement."

Following the shooting, President Donald Trump claimed the shooting was in self-defense, and said the officer who shot Good was "lucky to be alive." DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer was treated at a hospital and released the same day. She also said Good had "weaponized" her car against the officer.

Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara says he asked on-site ICE agents if there were any other injuries at the scene, and he was told there were none but Good.

He said, "I was very specific about asking if anyone else was injured. And at the time I was told that it was only the woman."

Kinzinger added, "They should never have been in a position for this to even occur."

Ex-GOP rep says Russia 'on the verge of collapse' as Trump wades into peace talks

An ex-GOP representative and former US Air Force member has suggested Russia is "on the verge of collapse", three years after invading Ukraine.

Adam Kinzinger believes Ukraine will be able to hold out even longer against Russia, as peace talks involving president Donald Trump continue. The ex-Republican Party representative says the party is not matching up with the facts of the war in Ukraine. Russia's grip on Ukraine has loosened, according to Kinzinger, who says Vladimir Putin's military has lost 10% of the occupied territory they held after first invading.

Kinzinger said, "About a week or two into the war, Russia occupied about 30-some percent of Ukraine. Today, that number is a little over 20%. Think about that. The war kicks off, a couple weeks into it, Russia has 30-some percent of Ukraine, today that number is a little under 20."

"So Russia now occupies a significant amount of Ukraine less than they did when they kicked off the war which means, obviously, Ukraine has been able to shove them back. In that whole process, in that fight, Russia has lost probably close now to 1.1 or 1.2million men. That's casualties, killed, captured, wounded, missing. Russia now occupies less of Ukraine than it did."

Kinzinger went on to criticise the stance of Republican Party officials and the president in the negotiations. The former House representative for Illinois compared the drawn out war and lack of territorial gains Russia had seen to the Iraq War and the US invasion.

He added, "Is there a soul in the world that would say we are winning, or we were going to win? Of course not, the US would have pulled out long ago if that was the case. The world would be screaming that the greatest superpower in the world was getting crushed."

"So why is it that Russia occupies 20% of Ukraine at the cost of 1.2million men, and there's this belief among Trump and Republicans particularly that Russia is inevitably going to win? How?"

"They're getting wasted in Ukraine. It's like the old joke, Russia used to be the second biggest army in the world, now they're the second best army in Ukraine." Kinzinger went on to say that those calling Ukraine's loss "inevitable" were wrong.

He added, "Ukraine is winning this war. All a defending country has to do to win a war, is keep defending. That's it. The Russian economy has turned into a war economy. The Russian economy is on the verge of collapse, the Russian demographics are awful. The price of energy is down and Russia exists solely on her energy."

Major clue on future plans revealed by Trump's 'incapable of caring' stance: Ex-Republican

Donald Trump has been accused of "enriching himself" with a bad economy by a former Republican representative.

Adam Kinzinger, who served as the House representative for Illinois from 2011 to 2023, suggested the economic downturn was of no interest to the president. Trump was branded 'incapable of caring' about the economic hardship of Americans, as Kinzinger believes he will personally benefit — however unhealthy the economy is.

But speaking to Rick Wilson on The Lincoln Project podcast, Kinzinger said the state of the economy effectively rules out a potential run for office from Trump in future.

The former GOP member told Wilson, "Imagine you're Donald Trump and you're the deep narcissist we know he is, incapable of caring about the bigger cause. A good economy doesn't matter to you, honestly, if you're not running again, and I don't believe he is.

"If you're not running again, and if you are enriching yourself. Donald Trump is becoming richer in this. I think Donald Trump knows he's not going to run again so, to him, the idea of 'we need a good economy,' he would probably prefer to have a good economy, but he also doesn't really need it. He's doing fine."

Kinzinger suggested later in the podcast that Trump may even hope for a Democrat victory at the next U.S. election. The ex-GOP member believes Trump would see this as a victory for himself, as it would make him the "last person to get these majorities".

Economic worries are also worrying Republicans who believe Trump is more concerned with solidifying his "legacy" in office than dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. Vice President JD Vance said the party would be judged on its economic successes as early as next year, and that more would need to be done to satisfy the public.

He said, "We need to focus on the home front. The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t built in a day.

"We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond."

'Bald JD Vance meme' got me barred from US: Tourist

An internet meme making fun of Vice President JD Vance was reportedly enough probable cause for the Department of Homeland Security to deny a Norwegian tourist entry into the United States.

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posted the meme to social media, writing, "Would be a shame if this picture spread again. Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme.'"

The meme portrayed a digitally-altered version of the vice president with a bloated face, bald head, and sporting a creepy, fixed stare.

As reported in The Daily Beast, 21-year-old Mads Mikkelsen — who shares the same name as a Danish actor — told his local Norwegian newspaper Nordlys that he had arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when immigration officials stopped him for questioning.

Mikkelsen told the publication that without explanation, officers placed him in a holding cell and quizzed him “about drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism."

Agents then allegedly threatened Mikkelsen with a $5,000 fine if he didn't let them scroll through his phone. That's where they found the Vance meme plus a photo of the tourist "with a homemade wooden pipe," both of which the agents flagged.

The Norwegian said he explained that the photos were a "joke," but they still "searched him and forced him to give blood samples and document his fingerprints.“

Mikkelsen said the incident made him feel like "a terrorist suspect."

The report added that it wasn't clear if Mikkelsen "provoked immigration officials in some way. However, he did note that he was exhausted having just deplaned a long flight across the Atlantic Ocean.“

Mikkelsen said he was ushered onto a flight back to Tromsø, a Norwegian city that is north of the Arctic Circle.

The Daily Beast reported that DHS did not respond to emailed questions about the alleged incident.

Read The Daily Beast story here.

CA governor should call up remaining troops to thwart Trump: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to call up the rest of his National Guard troops in an effort to thwart President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions.

Kinzinger, who served as a former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, told CNN Tuesday about the tactic Newsom could use to tamp down Trump's "provocative" actions.

"Look, there are 4,000 now activated California National Guard — and this is an important point, and I know it's in the weeds — but once they're activated by the president against the consent of the governor, they are now federal troops. They're U.S. Army."

Kinzinger said that renders them "basically pointless" with "no law enforcement ability" unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act or the governor gives his consent.

Kinzinger continued, "And then on top of that, to deploy the U.S. Marines when you have 4,000 troops that are not being used, is simply an intimidation tactic. It's meant to either appear tough or, frankly, to stir things up...I think the governor needs to activate the rest of his National Guard, or at least consider it, is because what that does... it now puts the Guard under the control of the governor. It would force the president to then overrule the governor, which could set up, potentially, something for the Supreme Court."

Kinzinger asserted that since there's not an "overwhelming amount of protesters," the governor can activate the guard himself if protests get "out of control."

In a new Substack article, Kinzinger wrote that the "irony" of the situation "should hit everyone across the political spectrum."

"Conservatives often argue that the Guard is a modern embodiment of the constitutional 'militia'—a counterbalance to federal power. But what kind of militia can be seized by the very federal power it’s supposed to balance?" he wrote.

Watch the clip below via CNN.

People Trump once thought he controlled have turned on him: former GOP lawmaker

President Donald Trump, known for craving total control and adulation, is at a loss now that powerful people he once thought were his pawns have turned against him, argued former GOP lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

In a new article, Kinzinger wrote, "Trump is surrounded by people he once thought he controlled. And now that they’re acting with independence, he doesn’t know what to do."

"The prime example," according to Kinzinger, "is his fraying relationship with Elon Musk—the world’s richest man and, until recently, Trump’s 'First Buddy.'” Musk publicly turned on Trump's "one big beautiful bill" after being told he no longer had unfettered access to the White House.

But, Musk is just the tip of the iceberg of "disloyals," Kinzinger wrote.

" Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett—his own nominee—has committed the cardinal sin of thinking for herself," by siding with liberal justices in several key decisions, Kinzinger said.

"Then there’s Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair Trump himself picked—now branded 'a FOOL' and 'a major loser.' Why? Because Powell won’t slash interest rates to juice the economy."

"And overseas, Trump’s strongest man-crush—Vladimir Putin—is refusing to play along," Kinzinger wrote, adding, "No, Donald—Putin hasn’t changed. He’s just not taking orders."

Kinzinger claimed that far from being a strongman or a real leader, Trump is just "a man throwing a tantrum because the world won’t revolve around him. And in each case, these individuals—whether misguided or not—are proving one thing: they have agency. Trump, meanwhile, just has rage."

Kinzinger concluded that what Trump "wants—what he’s always wanted—is loyalty, submission, and applause." When that doesn't happen, he calls them names like "loser," "weak," and "crazy."

Read Adam Kinzinger's full article here.

'Bright side': Ex-GOP lawmaker says Trump's tariffs could be 'large awakening' to his base

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) released an "Emergency Video" to his Substack readers Thursday about President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs that he claimed could finally wake up even Trump's most ardent supporters.

"This will show the American people that his ideas and his thoughts on this are insane, and also his thoughts on other things are insane," Kinzinger said. "So, if there is a bright side, it's that this could be the beginning of a large awakening of his base, and generally, the American people."

On Wednesday, after the markets closed, Trump held a "liberation day" celebration in the Rose Garden to announce he was signing a “historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world.” During his speech, Trump falsely claimed that a lack of tariffs directly led to the Great Depression in 1929.

"It would have never happened if they had stayed with the tariff policy; it would have been a much different story," Trump claimed. "They tried to bring back tariffs to save our country, but it was gone. It was gone. It was too late. Nothing could have been done."

ALSO READ: 'Not much I can do': GOP senator gives up fight against Trump's tariffs

Kinzinger called Trump's action, "one of the dumbest self-owns that this country has done in a very long time."

"But here's the thing," Kinzinger said, "He's been talking about this forever. Now, MAGA gets to see. Maybe it does work. Maybe this goes against everything, any economics system, economics professor, or theorist, or anybody that's ever studied economies, or, frankly, any past history of economies. Smoot-Hawley. Maybe this goes against that, and maybe this is a miracle. That would be great! All of a sudden, everybody gets a great, high-paying job at a factory if they want it."

Kinzinger then issued a warning: "But, if it's not — if this is going to damage the economy — MAGA now owns this. Donald Trump now owns this. And the damage that's going to be done is on his hands, and we can never forget that. We can never forgive that."

Kinzinger predicted that once it appears his plans have irrevocably soured and the U.S. has plunged into a recession, "Trump's going to find some made-up reason why he's changed his mind on tariffs, and he's going to play like that was his five-dimensional chess game he's been playing all along. But it's not true. He thinks this is going to work. He really thinks...the economy's going to shine."

Watch Kinzinger's Substack video.